Battle of Munda

The Battle of Munda was the decisive battle of Caesar's Civil War, fought on 17 March 45 BC between the Populares of Julius Caesar and the Optimates of Pompey the Younger. Caesar's victory at Munda allowed for him to return to Rome in triumph.

Background
Following the death of Pompey the Great in 48 BC and the defeat of the Pompeians at Thapsus in 46 BC, the Pompeians were confined to Hispania (now Spain). In the spring of 46 BC, two legions in Hispania Ulterior pledged allegiance to Pompey's son Pompey the Younger, and they were commanded by Pompey the Younger, Pompey's other son Sextus Pompeius, and by the talented general Titus Labienus, formerly an ally of Julius Caesar. These forces quickly overwhelmed much of southern Hispania, forcing Caesar's allies to call for assistance from Caesar himself. Caesar arrived in Spain from Rome with eight legions in one month, and Caesar's 40,000 troops faced the Pompeians' 70,000 troops at the plains of Munda in southern Spain.

Battle
Caesar launched unsuccessful frontal attacks on the Pompeians' well-defended hilltop positions for 8 hours, but he took command of his right wing and began to push back Pompey's forces. Pompey redeployed some units from his left wing to face Caesar's force on his right wing, but Caesar's cavalry turned the tide of the battle by attacking the now-weakened Pompeian left wing. The Pompeian camp was attacked from the rear, and the confused Pompeian army retreated in disorder. Titus Labienus was slain on the field, as were about 30,000 of his men. After Munda, no more conservative armies stood against Caesar, and, upon his return to Rome, he was made dictator.